Container and chemical heater



July` 13, 1954 1 M. KATz CONTAINER AND cHmICAL HEATER Filed Nv. e, 1951JNVENTOR. MAM-'R50 /arz Arrow/EY' Patented July 13, 1954 2,683,449CONTAINER AND CHEMICAL HEATER Manfred Katz, Los Angeles, Calif.,assigner to United Food Services, Inc., Wilmington, Del., a

corporation of Delaware Application November 6, 1951, Serial No. 255,047

claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in selfheating food containers,the primary object of the present invention being to provide aseliheating food container that can be conveniently handled after heatgeneration has been instituted Without discomfort and Without danger ofburning the lingers.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my pending application,Ser. No. 241,626, filed August 13, 1951, now abandoned.

Since self-heating containers are made with an annulus ofheat-generating chemical around a sealed food can and Within an exteriorjacket, the temperature generated not only heats the can and itscontents, but so intensely heats the jacket that facility of safehandling of the container, When opening the same, is materiallyimpaired. This is particularly true of containers having jackets of thingauge sheet metal. Accordingly, it is another object of the invention toprovide a self-heating container with an external jacket that isnon-metallic and of an inexpensive material that has extremely low heatconductivity.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a container asindicated, a porous liner for the jacket primarily for insulating thejacket against heat generated therewithin, the porosity of the lineraffording expansion space within the liner to absorb pressures createdWithin the jacket when heat is generated therein. In addition to itsheat insulating properties, it is contemplated that, in its preferredform, the liner have substantial thickness and be substantiallyincompressible and non-deformable.

Another object of the invention is to provide an insulating liner forthe jacket of a self-heating container that is both porous andcompressible.

Since a self-heating container of the type herein contemplated embodiesend walls or plates that connect the food can and exterior jacket and,since these end walls or plates are advantageously made of sheet metal,it is further contemplated to provide heat-insulating andexpansion-accommodating means between the heat-generating material andsaid Walls or plates.

A more specic object of the invention is-to provide heat-insulatingmeans of the character indicated that comprises pre-formed linerelements of substantially incompressible glass wool.

My invention also has for its objects to provide a self-heatingcontainer of the character referred to that is of simple constructionand is economical to manufacture.

Thel invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts which will more fully apvmetallicmaterial.

pear in the course of the following description of the illustratedpreferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing, in which like reference char'- acters represent similarparts in the severa views:

Fig. l is an elevational view, in quarter section, of a preferred formof self-heating container embodying features of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken plan View thereof, partly in horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of another form of theinvention.

A hermetically sealed food-containing can 5 constitutes the core aroundWhich the present improved structure is provided. Said can 5 is of theconventional cylindrical type, having an annular wall 6 and opposite endwalls 'I and B that are interconnected by annular crimps or beads 9 andI0, respectively.

The present improvements comprise, generally, a jacket II encircling can5, opposite ring members I2 and I3 connecting the can 5 and jacket II todene an annular space around the can, heat-insulating means I4 liningthe jacket and ring members, and heat-generating means I5 in saidannular space and separated from the jacket and ring members by themeans lil.

The jacket II is preferably formed of a non- As at present contemplated,said jacket is formed as a fiberboard tube i6 of the type that isseamless, the same being formed of helical convolutions comprising twoor more adhesive-connected plies. It will be evident that such tubeshave low heat conductivity relative to that of sheet metal.

Ring members I2 and I3 are preferably made of sheet metal and, at theirinner edges, are formed withchannels I1 and I8 that tightly fit over therespective can beads 9 and It) to seal therearound. The outer edges ofrings I2 and I3 are intercrimped with the opposite ends of jacket tubeI6 to .form annular beads I9 and 20.

Heat-insulating means It comprises an annulus 2| of material of whichglass Wool and rockWool are preferred examples. The same is positionedto form an inner liner for jacket I l and preferably extends to andbetween rings I2 and I3. Such materials not only have desiredheat-insulating properties but will also absorb any expansive forcesthat may be generated by the means I5 within the annular space betweencan 5 and liner 2|. Said means I4 also includes liner rings 22 and 23located against the inner faces of rings I2 and I3, respectively. Saidrings may be made of the same material as that of liner 2I and, thereby,have the same properties as said liner.

Both glass wool and rockwool are fibrous porous materials. The formercan be treated in wellknown ways to be substantially incompressible and,for all practical purposes, non-deformable. 1n fact, such glass woolwill break or crumble rather than deforni under nigh pressures orforces. Glass Wool will become non-deformable and retain its porosity iithe fibers thereof are lightly coated with thermo-setting or air-settingphenolic resins and .heat sufficient to thermo-set the resin coating, ifthe former is used, is applied. Rockwool, however, is deformable. Bothare adapted to absorb the mentioned generated pressores, the formerwithout deformation and the latter by becoming compressed. Also, bothmaterials are excellent heat insulators.

in practice, liner 2i is made of two or more abutted arcuate sectionsslidingly fitted into jacket tube i6.

As shown in 3, a corrugated paper or cardboard annulus 2d may beinterposed between the means iii and it to serve as a partition betweenthe porous mass ci means ist and the granular mass oi means i5particularly when the means id is formed oi rockwool.

Assembly oi the structure is relatively simple. Annular bead is made toconnect jacket Il and The can 5 is then set with its bead iii fittedinto channel it. Insulating means I4, whether in the form ci a tube or aset ci arcuate sections, and liner ring 23 are then slipped into place,and the unslaked lime or comparable filler i5 is then placed in thespace provided therefor. After liner ring 22 is slipped into position,1ing i2 is iitted o'ver can 5 and the crimp bead is is formed tocomplete the assembly. Other suitable methods oi assembly may ceemployed.

It will be seen that beads is and 2t provide strength for the containeragainst circumferentially applied forces, and that the can 5 suppliesstrength against endwise applied forces. Thus, the iiberboard jacket l iis structurally supported by strong metal parts.

Before can 5 is to be opened for removal of its contents, the same isheated by nrst puncturing ring i2 at dimples 25 so that a suitablequantity of liquid, preferably water, may be intrcd ced into filler i5.The resultant exothermic rea n heats the food in the can but the heatgenerated is insulated from jacket il and rings and to, thereby, achievethe purposes of the present invention.

Since iii, when dry, is in a coarse granular forni, the same mayinadvertently spill through the punctures in ring i2. Because oi thehigh absorptive properties of the filler, even when supplied withliquid, the same may still be in a spillable state since much of thegranular consistency is retained. The brous liner ring beneath thepunctures serves to seal against such accidental spillage.

While described what now regard as the preferred forms oi my invention,I do not wish to restrict myself to said forms, but desire to availmyself or all modifications that may iall within the spirit and scope oithe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire to obtain byLetters Patent, is:

l. ln a self-heating container having a foodcontaining can and aquantity of heat-generating material surrounding said can, a pair ofrings engaged with and forming circumferential extensions oi theopposite ends of said can, a nonmetallic tube connected at its ends tothe peripheries of the rings and constituting an outer jacket spacedfrom said heat-generating material, a non-deformable insulating lineroccupying said space and extending between the mentioned rings, andannular liners or" nondeformable insulating material interposed betweensaid rings and the heat-generating material.

2. In a self-heating container having a central sealed food-containingcan and a surrounding jacket defining an annular space around said can,there being a quantity of heat-generating material in said space andcontiguous to said can, and a non-deformable and porous heat-insulatingliner interposed between the jacket and said material to absorbexpansion forces generated by exothermic reaction resulting Jfromintroduction-oi liquid into said heat-generating material through saidjacket.

3. In a self-heating container having a central sealed food-containingcan and a surrounding jacket defining an annular space around said can,there being a quantity of heat-generating material in said space andcontiguous to the can, and a heat-insulating liner comprisingnondeiorrnable porous glass wool interposed between the jacket and saidmaterial to absorb expansion forces generated by exothermic reactionresulting from introduction of liquid into said heatgenerating materialthrough said jacket.

4. In a self-heating container having a icedcontaining can and aquantity of heat-generating material surrounding said can, a pair ofrings engaged with and forming circumferential extensions of theopposite ends of said can, a non-metallic tube connected at its ends tothe peripheries of the rings and constituting an outer jacket spacedfrom said heat-generating material, and a porous insulating lineroccupying said space and extending between the mentioned rings, saidinsulating liner comprising non-deformable porous glass Wool adapted toabsorb expansion forces resulting from exothermic reaction attendingintroduction of liquid into said heat-generating material throughpunctures in one of said rings.

5. In a self-heating container having a foodcontaining can and aquantity of heat-generating material surrounding said can, a pair ofrings engaged with and forming circumferential extensions of theopposite ends of the can, a non-metallic tube connected at its ends tothe peripheries of the rings and constitu g an outer jacket spaced fromsaid heat-ge rating material, and a porous insulating liner occupyingsaid space and extending between the mentioned rings, said insulatingliner comprising glass wool formed into non-deformable and aou tedarcuate sections.

References Cited in the nie of this patent UNITED STATES ?ATENTS NumberName Date 365,941() Randolph Sept. 10, 1907 1,306,868 Ford une 17, 19192,033,517 Gazda Mar. 10, 1936 2,035,611 Simmons Apr. 7, 1936 2,265,172Katz Dec. 9, 1941 2,425,900 Steven Aug. 19, 1947 2,553,878 Steven 22,1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,523 Switzerland Apr. 19,1916

